Looking at Hana for a mont, Suhyuk smiled at her.
She did not say anything, just looked at him.
Please give a bottle of soju! shouted a custor.
Yeah Hana replied as if she were murmuring.
Standing up from his seat faster than her, he took out a bottle of soju and put it down on the custors table.
He ca back to his seat, asking her, Wont you go with ?
At his repeated asking, she opened her mouth,
What about dinner? Did you eat?
Suhyuk smiled, shaking his head.
Wait a minute.
She disappeared into the kitchen and ca back with a bowl of rice and soup for him.
Steam rolled up from the bowl filled with delicious toppings of vegetable and at.
Thanks.
Suhyuk began eating quietly. Everyti he touched the food, he looked at her with a smile.
They were looking at each other without saying any words.
They could sense each others feeling without talking.
They knew that they went through all sorts of ups and downs along the way in their relations.h.i. p.
They were standing face to face with each other all the ti, but could not co closer to each other because of an invisible wall between them.
Suhyuk always felt a sense of guiltiness that he hurt her fathers legs, which made him feel at the sa ti that Hana, his daughter, was like a heavy wall standing before him.
Let pay the bill, said a custor.
Sure, Ill co, said Hana.
When she was about to stand up, her father stopped her shoulder, saying,
Let take care of it. Didnt Suhyuk say he wanted another bottle of soju? Oh, youre right
Hanas father moved to the counter, and she offered a cup of soju to Suhyuk.
Suhyuk drank it in a gulp, with a pleasant smile.
Let offer you soju, aunt!
Call an aunt again?
Narrowing her eyes she received a cup of soju from him.
Looking at them with a satisfactory look, Hanas father nodded his head slowly.
After all they were supposed to be united like that.
He just felt nervous all along that their relations.h.i. p would be estranged because of him.
Check, please, said the last custor.
After he got paid, Hanas father said at the entrance door,
Let go ho first, Hana, as Im a bit tired today. So, clean up for .
Are you going, sir?
When Suhyuk approached him, he waved his hand.
Im going to take a taxi from near here, so dont see off.
Then he looked at Hana, asking her to shut the door without fail.
Now Suhyuk and Hana were left alone in the restaurant.
At that mont their eyes t simultaneously.
Why, why?
She tried to avoid so sort of awkward situation by raising her voice and began cleaning the table.
At that mont Suhyuk pulled her wrist toward him gently.
Her eyes beca wide. She could not say anything.
She could feel his warmth entirely.
Suhyuks soft voice went into her ear.
Sorry. Ive kept you waiting for so long.
Held in his arms, she closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.
He slled sothing pleasant from her trembling hair.
She snuggled into his arms as if she was hugging a soft pillow.
***
The next day.
Suhyuk got on a car to give a briefing session on stem cells at the request of the Korean Doctors a.s.sociation.
As many doctors around the country were gathering for the event, the hall was huge.
Walking up to the podium, he moistened his dry throat with so natural spring water.
Then a text ssage appeared on his cellphone.
It was a ssage from Hana.
With a slight smile he looked around at the large audience. The noisy audience beca quiet soon, with doctors seating one by one.
So photographers began clicking shutters.
Suhyuk tapped on the microphone with one finger. Everybody beca silent in just a mont.
h.e.l.lo, my na is Lee Suhyuk.
The sound of clapping hands spread like waves into the hall.
When the sound beca quiet, he opened his mouth,
Thanks so much for coming to this place. Let start now.
The doctors eyes were glittering at his lecture.
How could any doctor who resolved the mystery of stem cells reveal to the outside world so easily like that?
His research had a such a great potential in terms of its comrcial value.
He could make a zillion out of it.
However, Dr. Lee Suhyuk now standing before the podium gave out all his research.
The audience listened to him carefully for about two hours.
Now let take your questions.
One doctor raised his hand.
Suhyuk said, nodding at him, Please go ahead.
How do you feel now that youre soon going to receive the n.o.bel Prize? The audience made a satisfactory look at him.
At the unexpected question Suhyuk said briefly, I feel good.
As soon as he replied, various questions were thrown here and there by many doctors.
So sort of scholastic conversation was exchanged between them, at which the caran shook their heads, unable to understand them.
No more questions?
Answering all their questions, Suhyuk cast his eyes toward the audience.
There were none.
Actually Suhyuk spent as much ti answering the questions as he did on the briefing.
Then I a.s.su that there are no further questions Let tell you about my own thoughts briefly then
So of the doctors about to go to the restroom sat back down on their seats.
As you know, the profession of a doctor is a very difficult job. Especially when you have a stream of ergency patients, its just common for you to give up your sleeping. But try to cheer up a little more. Patients are just powerless before doctors. At least during the ti they visit the hospital, they dont know anything about their body just like a child. They just rely on the doctors.
Now occasional chattering among so doctors stopped when he said that.
Silence hung among them.
Suhyuk continued,
When we doctors et face to face with patients, we should be their parents. Just like the patient trusts and relies on us, we have a duty to treat them to the best that we could. If we treat them just like our parents or children even for a mont, they wont forget us and co back. More patients coming, and as a result, more facilities and more dical staff will be needed.
If we think of the patients as our family mbers, such things will follow naturally. Because of this, we should be a part of their families.
Looking around the audience quietly, Suhyuk said, Thats it. Thank you!
When he lowered his head, thunderous clapping hands broke the silence.
The bulletin boards of Daehan Hospital hopage website was covered with all kind of tweets and replies about Suhyuk.
There were many patients who visited Daehan Hospital on purpose to get his treatnt.
But they could not see him because he was already aboard the plane about to take off.
This is the first ti I am traveling abroad.
Hana, seated in the first cla.s.s cabin, looked inside the plane.
She was comfortable but nervous because it was the first ti she got on a plane.
Suhyuk, seated next to her, smiled. He felt the sa when he got on board the plane bound for the United States for the first ti.
After you have so in-flight food, watch a movie and take a nap, and then youll have already arrived at the destination, said Suhyuk.
Soon an in-flight announcent ca out, Now were leaving to receive the n.o.bel Prize.
When Suhyuk and Hana were smiling at each other, the plane was taking off into the sky.
While they were heading for Stockholm, both of them received comfortable in-flight service.
It took them 13 hours to fly there.
When they arrived at the airport, it was early in the evening.
Probably it would be early in the morning in Korea.
Contrary to their expectation, there were no other pa.s.sengers or reporters at the airport.
Actually they arrived at the airport secretly at his request.
Give the baggage. Let escort you to the hotel safely.
A bodyguard wearing sungla.s.ses took Hanas carrier bag and his baggage.
A total of four bodyguards were protecting Suhyuk and Hana.
When they got out of the exit, one of the bodyguards opened the door of a black limousine.
Are you heading to the hotel right away?
Thinking for a mont before getting in the sedan, Suhyuk opened his mouth after looking at Hana, Wed like to have so fun before checking in.
Of course. Well drive you anywhere you want.
At the bodyguards words, both of them got in the limousine.
Their sightseeing began.
It was a loneso rectangular room.
The only furniture there was a long table and two chairs.
There, two n were facing each other.
One of them was silent and the other one smiled while lookin at his smartphone.
He was Dongsu.
So voice was coming out of his phone as if he was watching TV on it.
Soon the n.o.bel Prize award ceremony began.
It was the mont Suhyuks face beca known to every corner of the world.
Dongsu made a light smile at it.
Forming a V shape with his fingers after he wore a dal around his neck.
It was Suhyuks signature appearance.
Looking at it with a smile, Dongsu showed it to the man before his eyes.
A wonderful guy, isnt he?
Gazing at it briefly, the man turned his eyes to Dongsu again.
Treat well. Youre making a mistake now, said the man.
Dongsu just laughed it away, and stood up, unable to put up with him.
Approaching near the guy, Dongsu stroked his shoulder, saying,
Unlawful firing and embezzlent of official funds, plus accounting fraud. You really stole lots of money!
At Dongsus remarks, the guy gnashed his teeth hard enough to make a sound.
And you committed stalking, too!
The guy hired a man to stalk Hana, and forcibly contacted her everyday.
Out of desperation with his persistent hara.s.sing, Hana reported it to Dongsu.
I want to talk with my lawyer.
At his words Dongsu took his mouth to his ears, replying,
Sure. But you had better give up getting out of here Insu. I didnt like you from the high school days. And now Ive beco a prosecutor, man.
Tapping him on the shoulder lightly, Dongsu looked at his cellphone on the table.
Suhyuk, walking down the podium after receiving the award, was holding Hanas hands.
Dongsu made a smile at that.
Dont you think that they look great? Kim Insu gnashed his molars hard enough to break them.
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